My Kids’ Stationery – A Threat! Are We Doing It Right?

When we don't learn it, our kids will not even attempt to learn it. Check your study table. Most probably, you will find unnecessary stationery piled up!!!

Stationeries!!!! Admit it or not, it’s an explicit truth that we spend thousands of our money on it. But to our dismay, we are not quite aware of it. The last time I gave a pencil to my kid a week back, she asked me for a new one in less than 4 days. When asked she gave me a clueless look and said, “I don’t know how it vanished, but it’s not in my pouch!!”. Agreed!!! It’s a very reasonable explanation by an eight-year-old.

But how many of us teach our kids to be responsible? They need to take control of their things, understand the budgets and financial management. Does losing a mere pencil a threat to our kids??? Yes, it is!!! Please think big!!!

Make them understand that pencil or whatever stationery they use is not an outcome of some magic. Tell them how many trees are being cut, loads of graphite used and about the resources that go into making a pencil. The making of each pencil directly or indirectly impacts nature.

Tell them the worth of every pencil, the money behind it, and that it doesn’t come easy. Educate them that it is not only about money. Parents can afford to give a new pencil each day to their kids. But, it is about making them responsible.

Every small action brings about some learning. Our parents made us run to the nearby stationery shop to buy our own pencils. As a result, we came to know about its cost at a very young age. But now, as a parent, even I don’t know the cost of one pencil! This is because we pile up the stationery thinking its cheap, pay the bills at the mall, and simply walk off!!!

When we don’t learn it, our kids will not even attempt to learn it. Check your study table. Most probably, you will find unnecessary stationery piled up!!!

A six-year-old kid has nothing less than 10 pencils, 2 packets of crayons ( oil pastels, pencil crayons, wax crayons), one packet of eraser, 2 packets of sketch pens. No!!! They did not buy it on their own. We bought them all those. We did it!!!

I knew only wax crayons when I was a kid!!!! Caution them!! Make them minimalists!!! Ask them to make a list of what they need, set a budget for them and get them to learn… let them lead.

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It’s about making them responsible enough to carry their things safely and most importantly about using them effectively and efficiently for they create a disastrous impact on the environment when not properly utilised!!!

Even a pencil has a story. Teach them, this is the world they are going to live in. Every tree cut for making a pencil counts. Every ink used in sketch pens counts. Talk to them about plastics and the number of years it takes for it to degrade.

Everything counts!!!! Make them think!! Nothing comes easy!!! Even expecting your kid to become responsible, doesn’t come easy. It starts with you.

 

Image Source: Pixabay

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About the Author

Preethi

Food blogger and a writer by passion. Writing has been my source of let out, ever since my college days. Am a woman with a strong belief that you can make difference in everyone's read more...

10 Posts | 22,771 Views

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